Swiss, UAE set up panel on Syria grenade report

GENEVA — Switzerland says it has set up a joint commission with the United Arab Emirates to investigate whether hand grenades exported to the UAE were sent on to Syria.

The Swiss government this month temporarily halted arms shipments to the UAE after a newspaper published a photograph indicating a Swiss-made grenade was found with Syria rebels.

The government said Friday that the joint panel started work on Tuesday and it has lifted a block on licenses for arms shipments that were already issued. But it said "pending license applications are to remain suspended until further notice."

Switzerland says it hasn't exported arms to Syria since 1998. It says the photo showed a grenade from a 2003 shipment to the UAE, which signed a declaration pledging not to "re-export" the weapons.